Irish Soda Bread and Some High Notes #StPatricksDay #wwwblogs #writing

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone!

My little nephew’s motto for the day is my favourite: “Kiss me, I’m Indish!” A witty wink to his multicultural heritage.

Those of you who are friends of the blog know about my reluctance to bake bread. I went through a bread maker phase…that was about a year ago and it fizzled out. Does this always happen with bread makers? Or maybe it’s just flashy things in general? Hm.

Anyhoo, I came across this recipe yesterday. Have you heard of the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread? Well, if you have, you are infinitely cooler than I am. It’s a real organization whose mission can be summarized in their title. Check out their site, it’s quite neat: http://www.sodabread.info/menu/. I used the recipe I found there. Unfortunately, I don’t have a bastible pot, so I baked mine in a skillet that was passed down to me by my mom, and topped it with a cake pan. Some purists may call this technique nonsense. *shrugs*

This loaf is easy in terms of ingredients and preparation. I especially like that it is yeast-free, for those with sensitivities.

Making this loaf helped me bake away some stress. I’m nearing the final push of my latest novel WIP and it’s been quite taxing. I hope to finish it over the next few weeks and then take a little break to replenish my well.

One pleasant distraction on the horizon is an upcoming trip to London at the beginning of April to attend a family wedding. I haven’t been back for a few years now, so I’m looking forward to rediscovering the city, jogging in Hyde Park, and nibbling on pasties in Covent Garden. Oh, and Nandos. Man, I love that place.

When I get back I’ll be focusing on learning this:

My mom played birthday elf yesterday and surprised me with this incredible piano. She’s known of my dream to learn to play ever since I was a teenager. Now that I’m a thirty-something, the question I ask myself most often is: Anita, what are you waiting for? Carpe diem and all that stuff. So far, I’ve learned the basics about keys, hand placement, and C scales. Learning “Twinkle Twinkle” made me twinkle twinkle. So when I’m not writing in April, I’ll be spending quality time with Henry…Oh, that’s what I’ve named my piano, by the way. It’s only been a day but I can already tell we’re soul mates. When you know, you know.

Thanks for wading through this rambling update. I hope you’re blessed with the luck of the Irish – or Indish, ha ha – this day and all others.

Thanks for visiting,

A :-)

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 c buttermilk (To make your own, add 1 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice to milk and set aside to curd for 10 minutes.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet, cake pan, or skillet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Form a well in middle of the flour and add buttermilk.
3. Using your hands, mix buttermilk into flour to form a raggedy dough.Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Lightly knead the dough a few times to make a smooth ball.
4. Place loaf in skillet. Using a knife, score the top of the loaf with an X. Cover with a baking sheet or cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes. The loaf is done when browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cover the warm bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.